The Caped Crusader
by DXM147
Summary: Set after the events in The Dark Knight. Batman continues his crusade on crime and uncovers an insidious plot to destroy Gotham once and for all. Joker, Scarecrow, League of Shadows, Riddler.


The Caped Crusader

Story By David Moore & Kenny Watson

Script By David Moore

Based on Characters from the DC Comic Book Series and the

films Batman Begins and The Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan

Copyright:

2008-2009 DEANPRODUKTIONS, INC.

* * *

The camera follows a business suited man with very loud

shoes clomping on the marble floor in Arkham Asylum. A door

opens in front of the man when he stops at one of the cells.

Jonathan Crane, wearing his Scarecrow costume, enters and

sits down.

The Joker is sitting in the cell, in an orange jumpsuit that

all the inmates of the asylum wear. A security

guard/personal body guard for Crane walks in. The Joker

gives the guard a little look, so subtle. The guard walks

behind the Joker and "pretends" to lock his restraints

behind his back. The Joker plays along.

JOKER

Evening, Mister Gas mask.

SCARECROW

Trust me. I don't want to be in

this cell any more than you

do. And seeing how you're already

insane, I guess I can skip that

part.

JOKER

(sarcastically)

Oh, really? Too bad. I was

actually looking forward to

hallucinating.

SCARECROW

I've dealt with thugs like you

before and frankly, I'm not at all

impressed with what I see.

JOKER

Oh... this coming from a man that

just sprays his problems away.

SCARECROW

You didn't think you could get away

with it, did you? You killed

several of my clients, and swindled

them out of their money. Money

that could've supported their drug

rings. You steal from the mob, you

steal from me.

JOKER

Mmmmm, robbing the cradle. By the

way, you wanna know how I got these

scars?

The Joker lifts up his hands, which are not chained

together, and uses the pointer fingers to trace along the

scars on his face. Scarecrow doesn't register the fact that

the Joker is free at first, but backs away once he does.

The Joker jumps across the table in the room and grabs the

Scarecrow by the neck. The Scarecrow hesitates.

JOKER

I go into the hospital, okay? My

wife's just had a baby and I just

can't wait to see them both. So, I

meet the doctor outside and I say,

'Oh, Doc, I've been so worried. How

are they?' And the doctor smiles

and says, 'They're fine. Just fine.

Your wife's delivered a healthy

baby boy and they're both in

tip-top form. You're one lucky

guy.' So then, I rush into the

maternity ward with these flowers.

But it's empty. My wife's bed is

empty. 'Doc?' I say. And I turn

around and the doctor and all the

nurses wave their arms and scream

in my face. 'April fool! Your

wife's dead and the baby's a

spastic! The doc takes a scalpel

and does this, to commemorate the

solemn occasion.

He then looks into Dr. Crane's eyes, with a look of sick

bereft.

SCARECROW

You're sick.

JOKER

I'm going to need your mask.

The guard walking outside is patrolling the halls. He

rounds a corner and sees the Scarecrow mask behind the

Joker's cell. The Joker (in the Scarecrow Mask) taps on the

glass. The guard unlocks the door. The camera pans from

the mask down to the orange prisoner suit, and the guard

gets pummeled by the Joker. The Joker rips off the mask,

picks up the guard's binoculars, and shoves them into his

eyes.

JOKER

To be the first of many! [He laughs

hysterically.]

The Joker turns and skips out into the halls, rounding a

corner while still laughing hysterically.

* * *

EXT. TV STATION DAY

SHOT OF GOTHAM CITY'S SKY SCAPE, WITH VOICE OVER PLAYED OVER

SEVERAL SCENES.

The voice over is revealed to belong to a female reporter,

for the GCN (Gotham City Network).

REPORTER

And the terrorist that police call

the "Joker," has reportedly escaped

from Arkham Asylum around 10 AM

this morning. The GCPD is also

looking for other inmates that

might have escaped along with the

Joker, although initial reports

have come back negative. Police

Commissioner Jim Gordon has issued

a statement that the Gotham City

Police Department has suspended all

current active investigations and

also that the Department is

concentrating solely on the capture

and detainment of the Joker. This

includes the ongoing investigation

involving the vigilante known as

the Batman, who is believed to have

murdered 5 people since last month.

* * *

EXT. ALLEYWAY NIGHT

The camera pans down from a Gotham City skyscraper. It

reveals a deserted alley, drug dealers and miscreants are

seen in the bowels of the alley. Batman makes a dramatic

entrance, landing on the alley floor. He rises like a

shadow from the darkness.

The Batman holds out a locator, which directs him to a drug

dealer not far away. The dealer saw Batman drop, so started

running the other way. Camera shifts so that the dealer is

looking behind him, and he runs right into Batman's fist.

The camera looks back at the device Batman is holding, which

is going off louder than ever before.

DEALER

Ahh!

BATMAN

(stooping)

You've been dealing with Crane.

DEALER

Well, that's one villain even you

can't keep down.

BATMAN

(looking at the dealer's

stash)

He's giving you less.

DEALER

He doesn't have the time he used

to.

BATMAN

Doesn't he? You have a

choice. Get the maximum amount of

years for pushing, or tell me what

Crane's up to.

DEALER

(laughing)

Word is that the police don't even

work with you anymore! What are

you now? A nobody.

BATMAN

(angrily)

A nobody that wants information.

The Batman grips the dealers collar and hoists him up to his

face. He stares into the dealer's eyes.

DEALER

Why you still worried about drug

dealers when the clown's out of the

box?

BATMAN

Because this city has more than one

enemy.

Batman punches his fist at the dealer's hand that is flat

against the brick wall of the alley. The bones crunch and

the dealer lets out a cry of pain.

DEALER

Oh my god. Oh my god. You

freaking shattered my hand!

BATMAN

(angrily)

Feeling chattier?

DEALER

I don't know much. Just a

place. Overheard it while he was

talking on the phone. OW! The

Waterworks. Gotham

Waterworks. Something there.

BATMAN

(angrily)

That's it?

Batman shatters the dealer's other hand.

DEALER

Ahh! The demon. The demon's

head. That's what he said. The

demon's head is something to do

with the waterworks.

DEALER

Oh my... you're crazy, man! I... I

swear to God that's all I know. I

swear to God!

Batman puts him back down on the ground.

BATMAN

Good luck trying to peddle with two

broken hands.

Batman disappears into the shadows.

* * *

EXT. LARGE BUSINESS BUILDING

Camera pans from sun to reveal a tower, presumably in Gotham

City, with many windows.

A young man, in his early twenties, walks up to the building

and opens the front door with a key card. He is dressed in

business attire, and is somewhat stocky. He enters.

The man walks into a conference type room and sits down in

the seat at the head of the large table. He looks at his

watch, as if he is expecting somebody.

ANALYST

(surprised)

Oh...

Suddenly, two other men enter the room, sporting sunglasses

and carrying between them a large television set. The set

the television on the opposite end of the table, facing the

young man.

The television clicks on. It reveals the Scarecrow sitting

in one of his lavish desk chairs.

ANALYST

Dr. Crane.

They both are silent for a few seconds.

SCARECROW

Well, I suppose the first order of

business is obvious...

ANALYST

Sir, the plan had to be set into

motion earlier than expected

because of the complications with

the Batman.

SCARECROW

(sarcastically)

Oh, has the Batman been giving you

too much trouble?

ANALYST

(unsure)

Uhh, yes... sir... he showed up on

the...

SCARECROW

(angrily)

Batman has been at my doorstep

whenever I turn my back. Ever

since he put the Joker away he's

turned all of his attention, and

his knack for disruption, on me,

and my operations. I gave you a

simple task: to release the Joker

on a specific date, and why could

you not keep him in his cell until

then?

ANALYST

Sir... we didn't plan on staging

the breakout until the Sixteenth,

and most assuredly we didn't mean

for you to be in the cell with him,

but the Joker was having a profound

effect on the other inmates,

including inmate number 10025,

Mich...

SCARECROW

I don't care what impact he had on

the inmates. The arrangement was

for the Sixteenth, not before. And

I explained to you why it could not

be before that. The people I'm

working for have a very limited

timetable to execute their plan...

and you have failed them.

The other men in the room press a button on the television

set and a stream of white smoke issues out from the box

towards the business man. The man screams when he sees the

Scarecrow coming out of the television set.

* * *

INT. WAREHOUSE BUILDING UNKNOWN TIME OF DAY

The scene opens up with the camera zooming around the floor

of an open warehouse. Tied up in a metal chair is a

prisoner, of no particular political interest. The Joker

appears, laughing that maniacal laugh of his.

The Joker talks into a home camcorder, like the ones he uses

to make statements that air on the news during his last

spree.

JOKER

Hello Gotham! Three messages:

First, to the wonderful folks at

Arkham Asylum. I regret that I had

to leave. The room service was

great, but the other inmates,

weren't crazy enough! Second, to

the citizens of Gotham. Now, you

know what I can do. Last time I

made the mistake of giving you the

power to demand the Batman's

resignation. I've wised up since

then. Take my word for it. If

Batman doesn't reveal himself,

there will not be a single

cockroach living in the alleyways

of our fair city. And third, to

the Batman. I know you're no

murderer. And I know Harvey Dent

wasn't the White Knight that

everyone thought he was.

The Joker licks his lips and tilts the camera upwards.

JOKER

I really appreciate the Gotham

Police giving me the credit for the

late District Attorney's murder,

and as much as I enjoy murder, I

cannot take credit for another

man's handiwork.

* * *

INT. GOTHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT

The police department is blatantly going for the Batman in

their pursuit since his "murder" of Harvey Dent. Detective

Campbell paces in his office, apparently contemplating the

recent Joker video.

As the detective paces back and forth, the Batman appears

suddenly without being seen.

BATMAN

Detective Campbell...

CAMPBELL

Uhh... Surprised you didn't clean

this thing up already. You sure

you want to be here? You know,

you're our number two public enemy

right now, behind Joker.

BATMAN

I have to at least let you guys do

something.

CAMPBELL

We pretty much have our hands tied

because of him. He hasn't been

killing anyone yet,

surprising. Basically he's just

been making little appearances all

day. The department's

swamped. Don't have the manpower

for anything else. And it's causing

just a media frenzy, the way that

the news runs this guy like Al

Jazeera constantly running bin

Laden. The media is the right hand

of anarchy.

BATMAN

Just the way the Joker would want

it.

CAMPBELL

Right.

BATMAN

I have a feeling that there's

something bigger than the Joker

this time out there.

CAMPBELL

What do you mean? What could be

bigger than the most lethal

terrorist this city has ever known?

BATMAN

I got a tip a while ago. One of

the goons the Scarecrow hired back

with that whole hallucinogen

fiasco. What is the story with

Gotham Waterworks? What has

changed recently?

CAMPBELL

Well, uh, that's where, uh, they

stored that polluted water from a

while back. The water with the

hallucinogenic inhalant in it.

BATMAN

What happened with the water?

CAMPBELL

Well, I remember Loeb talking about

it when he was commissioner. They

stored it up in the Water Works, in

an isolated tank, until they knew

what to do with it.

BATMAN

Why?

CAMPBELL

They found traces of powdered

uranium in the water. They found

the hallucinogens of course, but

why uranium too? Obviously they

couldn't evaporate it or even clean

it. The EPA had a literal fit over

it.

BATMAN

Tell your men to keep an eye on

that holding tank.

CAMPBELL

Why? You think the Scarecrow has

something planned?

BATMAN

No. I think it's someone

else. Risen from the dead.

CAMPBELL

I'll keep in touch. What do you

think is going on? Do you think

the Joker...

But Campbell stops talking, Batman has already left the

office. Campbell looks unsurprised.

* * *

INT. SUBURBAN HOME NIGHT

A pair of dirty hands with writing written on them rest on a

stack of newspapers on a desk. The hands have letters on

each finger, which spell out "Riddle" on them. The

newspapers below them show articles about Harvey Dent, the

GCPD, the Batman, and the Joker. The hands sift through the

papers, circling several items.

The man stands up, but is cloaked in darkness. On the wall

there is a large bulletin board with many pictures tacked on

it. At the top of the board is a photo of Coleman Reese,

and underneath it is several more photos in a column, and

Bruce Wayne's photo is visible on "Possibles."

RIDDLER

The mole... Mr. Reese

(mysteries)... how fitting.

* * *

INT. GOTHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT

Campbell sits at his desk, sifting through papers, a worried

look on his face.

A junior detective comes into the office; Campbell looks up,

then back down to his papers.

CAMPBELL

Are the cameras in place?

JUNIOR DETECTIVE

Yes sir.

CAMPBELL

And the patrols?

JUNIOR DETECTIVE

In place.

CAMPBELL

Good. See to it that...

But the detective's comment is cut short as a rocket

propelled grenade hurls into the Major Crimes Unit. The

junior detective is thrown into the other room by the

blast. Campbell takes shelter underneath his desk. A few

seconds pass as the camera stays on Campbell. Large crashes

are heard from the rest of the MCU. Campbell runs out.

The Joker clocks Campbell as he runs out of his

office. Dazed and confused, he is picked up by two of the

Joker's henchmen, wearing clown masks, one with a latex one

used for Halloween, and one wearing a mask made out of

pantyhose. The Joker walks up to him.

JOKER

Hi.

Campbell just looks at him.

JOKER

Where is our mutual friend,

Commissioner Gordon?

Campbell doesn't say anything.

JOKER

Taking a personal day? Still

trying to shut down the mob? Let

me tell you something. You know

... I've done more to eliminate the

mob than this entire police force

has. I burned half their

money. I've killed their

leaders. So really, I'm on your

side. You can trust me.

The Joker smiles very wide. Campbell scoffs.

JOKER

So... You guys still think Batman

killed those 5 people? Is he still

your... target?

CAMPBELL

I can think of at least one who

tops him.

JOKER

What drives a man to kill? Is it

his bad experiences? Is it his

aggressive tendencies? No, not me,

anyway. I kill people because in

their final moments, people show

you who they really are. I don't

think I know YOU, very well,

detective. Have you been speaking

to Batman long? Have you formed a

brotherly loved with that Caped

Crusader?

CAMPBELL

No.

JOKER

Oh well. See, I wanted to kidnap

someone who was close to the

Batman. But, he probably won't

care anyway who I take. You see,

he doesn't respond to limp bodies,

he responds to kidnappings.

The Joker, laughing manically, along with the clowns and

detective Campbell, exit the smoking MCU.

* * *

EXT. GOTHAM WATERWORKS NIGHT

A patrolman, Jacob Miller Miller, strolls across the wide

expanse in front of two very large water tanks. He looks up

to the top of one of the tanks, obviously searching for

something.

A second police officer comes around the corner, flashlight

in hand. He looks at the first, surprised.

2ND OFFICER

Oh... hey Jacob. Are you supposed

to be on patrol tonight?

JACOB MILLER

Oh hey. Actually no, but I knew

that Detective Campbell would want

me here.

2ND OFFICER

What does that mean?

JACOB MILLER

Nothing. [He smiles a quick smirk.]

I'll take the south side if you

wanna take the north side.

* * *

EXT. ALLEYWAY NIGHT

Batman wanders the alleyways, apparently listening to

people's conversations through his telecommunications

sensor. He puts his fingers to his ear.

BATMAN

Campbell...?

JOKER

You wanted to talk to him?

A look of instant horror flashes across Batman's face.

BATMAN

Joker...

JOKER

Look, listen. Let's save the

theatrics and get down to brass

tax. Now, see. I don't like it

when I'm not the main attraction,

and I really don't like it when you

leave me out of the loop.

BATMAN

This town is not a one man show...

JOKER

I want this town to know who runs

it though, until their spirit

breaks completely...

BATMAN

This city has already showed you it

believes in good.

JOKER

If you give a thousand monkeys a

thousand tests, one is bound to do

well.

BATMAN

(thinking)

What do you want?

JOKER

(laughing)

Oh, not much. I just want my best

friend to come over and play for a

while.

BATMAN

I'll be at the Waterworks. That's

the only place I'll be. I'm not

playing your games, Joker.

JOKER

Oh, so I can fall into your little

trap? Nice of you to offer, Batsy,

but I've got an agenda of my

own. Wait, scratch that. No I

don't.

BATMAN

This isn't a negotiation

Joker! You're not number 1

anymore. Deal with it.

Batman clicks off his communicator. He touches it again.

BATMAN

Alfred?

Alfred Pennyworth on the other line: Yes, master Wayne?

BATMAN

I need you to get a hold of the

GCPD. Tell them to head towards

the Gotham Waterworks.

Alfred on the other line: Yes, of course, master Wayne.

BATMAN

Tell them the Joker will be there,

and to bring a bomb squad. Use the

secure line. And tell them to not

accept an 'All Clear' from any of

their officers at the Waterworks.

Alfred on the other line: Right away, master Wayne.

* * *

INT. ARKHAM ASYLUM NIGHT

The Scarecrow talks into a cell phone, his voice modulator

still on.

SCARECROW

Yes, and Jacob Miller is down

there. He will get the job done.

The other person on the line, which is on speaker, is

clearly a woman.

TALIA

Good, and make sure you're far

enough out of the blast radius when

it goes off. The League of Shadows

wouldn't want one of our chief

operatives killed...

SCARECROW

You never divulged me on how much

this explosion is going to

destroy...

TALIA

Oh... all of Gotham, that's for

sure. Some of Trenton, the

outskirts of Metropolis...

SCARECROW

That is too much! Your father

would never allow other cities to

pay for the crime that...

TALIA

Do not talk about my father! You

didn't know him. And besides, he

WOULD have wanted corrupt cities to

pay for the sins they have

committed. They are all

guilty. They should pay. Don't

you know what we do? Our way of

life, our whole crusade is to

restore the balance that the human

race needs. Whenever a

civilization reaches the pinnacle

of its decadence, we restore the

balance. My father failed to

destroy Gotham twice, and I assure

you, it won't take me but once.

SCARECROW

As you wish. [He scoffs.] I will

report to you after we've cleared

our people from the tanks.

* * *

EXT. GOTHAM WATERWORKS NIGHT

Officer Jacob Miller is shown strapping bombs to the outside

of the Waterworks tank structure. The other officer

approaches him from behind.

2ND OFFICER

Hey! What are you doing?!

Officer Jacob Miller Miller takes out his sidearm and shoots

the 2nd Officer. He takes out a cell phone and dials a

number.

JACOB MILLER

Yes, they are set and there are no

more police around.

A van pulls up next to the water works. Joker's van.

JACOB MILLER

Wait, boss. Someone just

arrived. Friends of yours?

The Scarecrow's voice is barely heard through the receiver.

JACOB MILLER

Hold on.

The officer pulls out a set of binoculars. He stares into

them as the people from the van pile out. Most of them have

clown masks on, and some just have pantyhose over their

heads. All of them carry semi-automatics as their weapons.

The Joker steps out of the van also. He shouts some orders

to the other clowns. Officer Miller talks back on the cell

phone.

JACOB MILLER

It's the Joker. And he's brought

his clowns.

The Scarecrow is shown in his car driving with his posse.

SCARECROW

We'll be there momentarily. Keep

hidden.

The Scarecrow hangs up the phone. He speaks with the people

in the van.

SCARECROW

This is exactly what should NOT

have happened. We released the

Joker to run rampant in Gotham so

we could accomplish our goal

here. And how did he know to go to

the Water Works?

* * *

EXT. GOTHAM WATERWORKS NIGHT

The Joker waves his hand around to set up a perimeter, and

the clowns spread out.

The Batman is shown rounding the corner towards the

Waterworks. He drives his Bat pod straight at the Joker,

but his men step in. Batman jumps off the bike and flies at

one of the clowns, while the Bat pod skids on top of one of

the other clowns.

The Batman uses his fighting skills as all of the clowns

draw around him. The Joker hangs back while his goons fight

the Batman, and shoot at him.

The Joker lunges at Batman, and they trade blows. Batman is

able to unhook a cable from his utility belt, and wraps

hands up. He trips Joker up, and the Joker lands on his

backside.

JOKER

Yay. Now we can talk.

BATMAN

The only person you'll be talking

to is another psychiatrist.

JOKER

Hah. Anywhere is better than

here. You want to know a

secret? I hate the outside. Here,

out here in this urban stink

hole. See, this is where the real

evil takes place. Murder, money,

drugs. It's all a big joke to

me. But to these average people,

to the John Smiths and the Jane

Does, evil is everywhere. And you

think that you can keep me in

Arkham? It's true that from time

to time it's inmates escape, but

they all return- for the world

outside is truly frightening.

BATMAN

I don't know about the security of

Arkham, but I warn you Joker, I

know the security of MY city.

Batman gets up and the Joker laughs hysterically. The Joker

withdraws a knife from his shoe and prepares to battle the

Batman. Jacob Miller then leaps from his hiding place,

aiming at Batman, but the Joker takes him by the back and

puts the knife against his neck.

JOKER

Ladies and Gentlemen! You've read

about it in the papers! Now

witness, before your very eyes,

that most rare and tragic of

nature's mistakes! I give you: the

average man. Physically

unremarkable, it instead possesses

a deformed set of values. Notice

the hideously bloated sense of

humanity's importance. Also note

the club-footed social conscience

and the withered optimism. It's

certainly not for the squeamish, is

it? Most repulsive of all, are its

frail and useless notions of order

and sanity. If too much weight is

placed upon them... they snap. How

does it live, I hear you ask? How

does this poor pathetic specimen

survive in today's harsh and

irrational environment? I'm afraid

the sad answer is, 'Not very well'.

Faced with the inescapable fact

that human existence is mad,

random, and pointless, one in eight

of them crack up and go stark

slavering buggo! Who can blame

them? In a world as psychotic as

this... any other response would be

crazy!

A white van suddenly rounds the corner into the vicinity of

the Waterworks tanks.

JOKER

I hope you already called the popo.

Joker slices Jacob Miller's throat. Joker laughs

hysterically and flings the knife towards Batman. The knife

catches him at the shoulder, but he quickly recovers and

launches out a projectile stream that wraps around the

Joker's feet and trips him.

The van stops abruptly. Out of the back of the van pile out

sharply dressed henchmen of the Scarecrow. The men swarm

around the Joker, still bundled up in front of the

van. Batman is nowhere to be found.

Batman shows up out of the shadows and takes two of the

henchmen by complete surprise. They scream as the Batman

drags them off. The men's semiautomatics go off randomly as

they are dragged off.

The Scarecrow stands behind the remaining henchmen and

whispers to them. The two henchmen lunge at Batman, going

for his abdomen. They use the butts of their guns to ram

into Batman's chest. The Batman lets his mouth open for a

split second to let out a gasp. That's all the Scarecrow

needs.

Scarecrow lunges forward and sprays Batman right in the

mouth with spray. Batman chokes.

Batman starts to hear sounds and see images from his fearful

past. The Scarecrow chuckles to himself.

SCARECROW

It's a lethal dose. I didn't want

to allow you to ruin any more of my

plans, Bat.

Batman continues to see visions of what he fears most. His

eyes flash with visions of his parents, of Rachel Dawes

dying, of Joe Chill, of the Joker. Of Ras Al'Ghul.

Ras Al'Ghul: What do you fear?

Of Scarecrow's mask. Of Carmine Falcone. Of the man in

prison with him in Nepal. Of Harvey Dent. Of Gotham

itself.

BATMAN

I wanted to save Gotham.

In flashback: Alfred Pennyworth: Why do we fall sir? So we

can learn to pick ourselves back up.

Somehow, Detective Campbell craws out of the van and yells

to Batman.

CAMPBELL

You did!

Batman gets up, in a fit of rage. It seems he has conquered

his fear, and now only gets angrier because of it. In a

flash of pure blackness, the other two henchmen are on the

ground and bleeding.

The Batman goes for the Scarecrow's neck, and seeing the

ornamental noose that completes the costume, goes for that

and tightens it around his neck.

CAMPBELL

Batman, NO!

BATMAN

This man killed me!

CAMPBELL

And you have to be better than him.

BATMAN

I already have blood on my

hands. What would a little more

do? Why do I have to be better?

Police sirens are heard nearby and flashes of blue and red

can be seen entering the Water Works complex.

CAMPBELL

For Gotham.

Flashes of Bruce Wayne's parents flash across his mind.

The Gotham City Police Department surround the complex and

exit their cruisers. The Batman releases Scarecrow and

throws his mask off of the villain. It is not Jonathan

Crane under the mask.

BATMAN

It's not Crane. Detective... I

need you to do something for me.

The Batman is shown saying something to Campbell, then

slumps over on the ground. More police arrive around the

three bodies of the Batman, faux-Scarecrow, and Campbell.

* * *

EXT. GOTHAM CEMETARY

A handful of U.S. Marines drape an American flag over the

casket of Batman. They are seen lifting it into a Hearst

nearby. Detective Campbell presides over the ceremony.

CAMPBELL

He was the hero that Gotham needed,

but not the one that we cried out

for. He did not ask anything from

the people, nor did he have to. He

heralded in a new era for this

great city, when we all needed a

change. We let the corrupt and the

evil take a hold of us. He pried

that loose and showed us what we

could truly be. We all wanted the

world to change, but when he

changed it, we witnessed our world

get worse before it got better. We

ridiculed him, we called for his

head. Despite this, he battled

unrelenting terrorists and

corruption, all with the decency

that this city would like to be

based upon. But we cast the first

stone. And he took it, because he

thought he wasn't a hero.

Several shots of people putting things on the Batman's

casket - including a little boy's hand drawn card simply

saying 'Thank You.'

CAMPBELL

We have chosen to conceal his

identity from everyone. No one

will know who the Batman was, and

they shouldn't have to. And the

least this city can do now is to

remember what this Caped Crusader

did, and emulate his example. It's

up to us now. We have to take the

torch. Take his example, and don't

be afraid to be brave. Be brave

for the bat. Continue his valiant

Crusade.

* * *

EXT. GOTHAM CEMETERY

Six days later...

A man with "R-I-D-D-L-E" on each of his fingers approaches

the mausoleum that houses Batman. Outside the mausoleum is

a plaque. The Riddler reads it out loud.

RIDDLER

To the Caped Crusader, the unknown

protector of Gotham City, who gave

his life so that its citizens could

remain free...

The Riddler gets up, and enters the mausoleum. Inside he

notices the casket. He breaks open the locks placed on

it. He lifts the lid and there is nothing inside.

RIDDLER

Very nice, Batman.

END CREDITS


End file.
